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With the aim to reinforce the ongoing initiatives of the City Government of San Fernando to contain COVID-19, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) conducted series of activities to include monitoring of minimum health standards; assessment of peace and order situation; and augmentation of relief operations, peace and order personnel, and swabbing team.
The Minimum Health Standards Assessment Team of PGLU conducted a rapid assessment activity in Barangay San Agustin on August 7, 2020 to ensure the observance of minimum health standards particularly on Engineering Control, Administrative Control, and Use of Personal Protective Equipment. Findings and observations were communicated to the LGU’s Incident Management Team for appropriate action and for identification of necessary support from the PGLU.
Secondly, the Provincial Core Team Against COVID-19 (PCTAC) Sub-Committee on Checkpoint and Security through Capt Gregor Mendel Panelo and La Union Police Provincial Office (LUPPO) Provincial Director Jay R Cumigad also conducted an assessment on the peace and order situation in the barangay and augmented the deployed personnel for peacekeeping and checkpoint manning as well as the safeguarding of the barangay’s shoreline area.
The PGLU also augmented the efforts of the City Government to include the deployment of four (4) personnel from the Provincial Diagnostics and Testing Team to assist in the conduct of mass RT- PCR testing and the provision of 755 food packs and 740 hygiene kits for the constituents.
The Provincial Government commits to continue its relentless support to its component local government units to protect all Kaprobinsiaan. Thus, we encourage everyone to do their part by practicing the minimum health standards and by being #WithUs as we fight COVID-19.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the La Union Medical Center (LUMC) shows its support to the National Breastfeeding Month and International Breastfeeding Week Celebrations through simultaneous breastfeeding of mothers at the Obstetrics-Gynecology ward of LUMC on August 7, 2020.

National Breastfeeding Month and International Breastfeeding Week are both observed in August and this year’s themes focus on the benefits of breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond. Breastfeeding boosts a range of physical, emotional, and other benefits for both mother and child.

OPERASYON NG MGA VAN TRANSPORT, MAHIGPIT NA BINABANTAYAN SA LA UNION
Mahigpit na binabantayan ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng La Union ang pag-operate ng mga van transport na namamasada at naghahatid ng mga Locally-Stranded Individuals (LSIs) papasok ng probinsya.
Sa bisa ng Executive Order No. 19-C na nilagdaan ni Gov. Pacoy noong unang araw ng Agosto 2020, inilahad na ang mas mahigpit na patakaran para sa mga van transport na ito.
Sa nasabing direktiba, kailangan nang magpakita ng mga driver ng mga van ng permit mula sa LTRFB na nagpapatunay na sila ay may kaukulang pangkrisa upang mag-operate sa panahon ng pandemya.
Para sa mga driver na hindi residente ng La Union, iiwan nila ang kanilang driver’s license sa mga pulis na nakatalaga sa border checkpoint, na makukuha nila sa kanilang paglabas muli ng probinya pagkatapos ihatid ang kanilang mga pasahero.
Required din ang mga driver na ito na magpakita ng resulta ng kanilang RT-PCR test, na nagpapatunay na sila ay negatibo sa sakit.
Sa mga LSI naman na lulan ng mga van transport na ito, sila ay susuriin isa-isa sa mga border checkpoints at kailangan nilang ipakita ang mga sumusunod na documentary requirements: duly-accomplished La Union Health Declaration Form; ID na nagpapatunay na sila ay residente ng LU; Travel Authority mula sa PNP na kanilang pinaggalingang lugar; Health Certificate mula sa local health unit ng kanilang pinanggalingang lugar na nakuha sa di lalagpas ng tatlong araw sa kanilang byahe; at RT-PCR test result na nagpapatunay na negatibo sila sa COVID-19.
Ang mga LSIs ay sasailalim din muli sa 14-day self-quarantine sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan. Sila ay imomonitor ng BHERT ng kanilang barangay.
Sa datos ng PGLU, mayroon nang 478 LSIs na na-assist sa kanilang paguwi sa probinsya, sa pamamagitan ng programa ng pamahalaan gaya ng Hatid Tulong Program ng National Government, Awid Kaprobinsiaan ng PGLU, at ng iba pang serbisyo ng mga LGUs.
Umaapela naman ang PGLU sa mga LSIs na umuuwi lulan ng pribadong sasakyan na ipagbigay-alam ang kanilang pagdating para sa wastong impormasyon at monitoring ng lokal na pamahalan.
Hinihikayat ang publiko na makipagtulungan sa pagpapatupad ng mga border protocols na ito para sa pagtatatag ng Stronger La Union.

The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU), through the leadership of Gov Pacoy, is committed to building a resilient La Union and counter the spread of CoViD-19.
Through the Contract Tracing Team (CTT), Diagnostics and Testing Team (DTT), Patient Management and Monitoring Team (PMMT), and the Health Care Provider Network (HCPN), the province carries out the Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (DITR) Strategy to ensure that suspect, probable and confirmed CoViD-19 cases are properly monitored and managed.
Detect
In the past few days, the province has recorded a spike in the number of confirmed cases. This is due to the strengthened contact tracing and testing initiatives in La Union by the PGLU and its component LGUs. The Contact Tracing Teams (CTT) are immediately activated when a new case is reported. Consequently, the Provincial DTT provides assistance to the LGUs to ensure the prompt and effective conduct of swabbing to suspects and contacts. Swab booths have also been installed in all five District Hospitals as well as the La Union Medical Center.
Isolate and Treat
Upon detection, the confirmed CoViD-19 patients with no or mild symptoms are isolated and transferred to the District Hospitals for monitoring and treatment while severe or critical cases are admitted at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC). Moreover, close contacts and suspect cases are isolated either through home quarantine or the LIGTAS (Local Isolation and General Treatment Areas) CoViD Centers. To date, we have a total bed capacity of 403 situated in all the component LGUs and including the Provincial CoViD Center or the Home of Hope.
In order to efficiently manage and prevent the exhaustion of the facilities, through the strengthened HCPN, the Province now has its system of referral and download of patients between or among facilities fully operational.
Reintegrate
The reintegration of the patients to the community remains of utmost importance. Patients are ensured to have fully recovered to prevent the potential spread of the virus and causing fear and discrimination. In support to this, the Province enacted Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance No. 216-2020 prohibiting any form of discrimination to recovered patients, among others.
The DITR strategy can only be more effective in preventing the spread of the virus if the community cooperates and participates in disease surveillance and detection.
Be one with us in building a Stronger La Union! The pandemic is far from over but so should our persistence and dedication to move forward and rise above the situation.

In an effort to strengthen disease surveillance through contact tracing, the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) aims to enhance its existing CoViD-19 Dashboard for a more in-depth and evidence-based analysis to facilitate proactive, faster and efficient tracing of CoViD-19 contacts.
As a result of the first meeting of the PGLU led by Governor Pacoy Ortega with Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the appointed Contact Tracing Czar of the country, the City Government of Baguio‘s Contact Tracing Team cascaded the Baguio City’s Contact Tracing Application System with selected personnel from the La Union Police Provincial Office (LUPPO) and the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) of the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU).
Mr. Francis Camarao, Information Systems Analyst and Mr. Shan-ry D. Roberts, Data Analyst, members of the City Government of Baguio contact tracing team presented the Contact Tracing e-System used by Baguio City to the PIMT of the PGLU with the Deputy Incident Commander Alvin A. Cruz on August 5, 2020, at the Incident Command Post, Provincial Capitol Building, City of San Fernando, La Union. Features of the said system are the CoViD-19 Data Collection Tool, Geographic Information System (GIS) Platform, and the Analytical Tool-Link Analysis.
The Geographic Information System captures, stores, manipulates, analyzes, manages, and presents all types of geographical data related to CoViD-19 cases. It overlays CoViD-19 affected areas, district/ barangay affectations, areas of checkpoints and lockdowns, barangay health centers, hospitals, satellite markets, and other critical facilities. Through this system, one can visualize CoViD-19 data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends and its confirmed cases and its possible spread of infections.
The Analytical Tool-Link Analysis provides different views on how one patient could infect or transfer the virus to others by looking into their daily activities. It shows gaps and creates more opportunities on how to properly track down close contacts of the patient through the timeline.
Through Mr. Gerry Binas-o, the Information Communications Technology Unit (ICTU) Head, the PGLU shall conduct a pilot study in the Province with the City of San Fernando as the first LGU beneficiary given the rising number of CoViD-19 cases in the City.

STRONGER TOGETHER. The Provincial Government of La Union continues on its Transformative Governance journey, banking on the strength of continuous improvement and innovation through efficient government systems and governance partnerships. For the purpose of identifying points of convergence with its partners and stakeholders, PGLU introduces the Pre-State of the Province Address (Pre-SOPA) Dialogue Series.
As the Champion of Transformative Governance, Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III presents before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the updated strategy, “Stronger La Union: Provincial Strategy on Response, Recovery, and Local Economic Development” during the first Pre-SOPA Dialogue on August 4, 2020.
During the dialogue, the Governor presented the status of CoViD-19 in the Province, and the current strategies to administer and properly handle the crisis while protecting the health and safety of every Kaprobinsiaan. Given the crisis being faced by Province, the vision to be The Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025 has been enhanced. Leveraging the local economic enablers: agriculture and tourism, the recalibrated strategy now includes crisis response, mitigation, management, and recovery.
The Governor, together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has been able to discuss support and core processes objectives of the strategy needed to attain the focus of positioning La Union as a secure, self-sufficient, and sustainable Province. These are all needed to achieve the overarching goal of improving the quality of life in a province worth living in. As the Governor declared, the Province has already achieved much since the start of the Transformation Journey, yet the Province will yet to improve its chances not only in survival but also in succession.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through the leadership of Vice Governor Mario Eduardo C. Ortega, expressed their sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the commendable leadership and hard work of the Governor. Moreover, the Honorable Body pledged their commitment and full support to the Governor and his plans for the Provincial Government to become a stronger institution equipped to build a stronger La Union for its people.
Be one with us in building a #StrongerLaUnion because we are Stronger Together!